Touch-sensitive display devices allow user interaction via touch input. While a user's finger may provide effective interaction for a range of scenarios, in some cases it may be desirable to also make use of an active stylus. Typically, an active stylus and an associated display device are configured to establish and maintain a shared sense of time with one another to facilitate interaction (e.g., touch sensing, position sensing, data transmission). In particular, a communication protocol used by the active stylus and the touch-sensitive display device may enable such synchronization.